Motor City Youth Theatre
Nancy Florkowski, Founder and Director
(313) 535-8962 or e-mail nancy@mcyt.org

Youth theater presents musical about Noah
BY LINDA ANN CHOMIN
STAFF WRITER

The kids are still working on their animal masks, but before long they'll be heading two by two to the ark. About 33 members of the Motor City Youth Theatre and 10 of the adults with Grantland Street Players are preparing to present the U.S. premiere of Noah, The Musical on weekends from March 9-25, at the Grantland Street Playhouse, 27555 Grantland, one block west of Inkster, Livonia.

Curtain times are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10-$15, all seats reserved. For more information, call (313) 535-8962 or visit www.mcyt.org.

Director Nancy Florkowski describes the production as an ensemble effort featuring a cast from age 5 on up.

"All the children are animals," said Nancy Florkowski of Redford. "We had a special mask making workshop on a Saturday taught by Mary Copenhagen who's on the teaching staff and a costumer for productions of the Wayne State University Theater Department.

"They're 3-D masks not flat, unicorns, tigers, horses. The adults are high school age and older and do most of the dialogue. The kids do singing and dancing."

Written by Ian Gower and Rob Alderton, the story revolves around Noah, played by Thomas Elliott. The Northville resident grew up in Motor City Youth Theatre programs. His brothers in real life, Andy and Zack Elliott, play Noah's sons along with Scott Crossman. Patricia Tait tells the story.

"It starts out with a storm and how bad the world is," said Florkowski. A symbolic rainbow does eventually appear sort of like the script did.

"I just got it (the script) by chance," said Florkowski. "Playwrights send their work out and ask if anybody would like to do it. We started e-mailing back and forth."

The production as well as the Grantland Street Playhouse is a work in progress. Members recently built a stage and are trying to bring the facility up to code. Florkowski, who retired as a teacher from Pierce Middle School in South Redford three years ago, says she's busier than ever before. In July, Florkowski, who founded the Motor City Youth Theatre in 1990, holds a summer program.

"We work from show to show trying to make improvements," said Florkowski. "There's so much more to do and so much more money is needed.

"We have the Producers Circle, a support group that helps financially, at shows and with fundraising. Amy Helman is president and has four children in program which is year round."

lchomin@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-214